Ye Qichi watched calmly as Bi Qing hurriedly left.
Lu You was on the verge of tears from frustration.
"Ignore her, let's go to my mother's place," Ye Qichi called to Lu You.
"I will take responsibility for everything, what's there to fear!" No sooner had Ye Qichi spoken than she strode directly towards Qin Mengxi's courtyard.
Lu You was somewhat at a loss, but seeing the Princess's determination, she gritted her teeth and followed.
Upon arriving at the courtyard.
Qin Mengxi was still not awake.
However, Nanny Zhang, who attended to Qin Mengxi, hurriedly came forward, "Princess, you woke up before dawn, and madam is still sleeping."
Ye Qichi truly felt some disdain for this lack of urgency.
Zhou Ruotang had gotten up early and had started to dress herself, yet Qin Mengxi was still able to sleep.
No wonder she is bullied .
She said to Nanny Zhang, "Wake my mother up. Today is father's birthday celebration, she needs to get up early to dress."
"Yes," Nanny Zhang did not dare to oppose.
She then led Ye Qichi into the house.
Qin Mengxi finally got up, though still very drowsy, she did not refuse under her daughter's persistence.
Speaking of which, ever since marrying Ye Zhengde, she hadn't seriously dressed herself up.
In the first few years of marriage, preoccupied with treating diseases and pregnancy, she had no mind to dress up.
After Zhou Ruotang entered the door, she scorned dressing up. Coming from a literati family, this well-known young lady did not want to lower her status to compete for favor and naturally, she would not deliberately please Ye Zhengde.
A servant girl from the house came, respectfully saying, "Princess, madam, Madam Zhou has requested Miss Lu You to come over."
Her hands trembled while doing Qin Mengxi's hair.
Ye Qichi looked at Lu You without giving the servant girl a glance, "Tell Madam Zhou that Lu You is busy and can't come."
The servant girl naturally did not dare to disobey Ye Qichi and hastily went back.
Lu You's eyes were somewhat red.
"Focus on dressing up my mother, I will handle the other matters," Ye Qichi comforted.
"What happened?" Qin Mengxi also noticed something was off.
"Just a small matter," Ye Qichi dismissed it with disdain.
Seeing the Princess this calm, Lu You also relaxed a little.
A little while later.
Zhou Ruotang personally came over.
Ye Zhilan was with her, as well as Bi Qing and several other servant girls.
Upon entering the room, Zhou Ruotang still performed a greeting, "Princess, sister."
"This early in the morning, does Madam Zhou need something?" Ye Qichi came out from behind the screen, approaching Zhou Ruotang.
Zhou Ruotang looked at Qin Mengxi who seemed to be dressing up inside and felt somewhat contemptuous in her heart.
This woman, she even starts dressing herself up!
She has no part in today's event, who is she dressing up for?
Zhou Ruotang kept her composure, she looked at Ye Qichi, "Just now Bi Qing came back saying that Lu You broke my hairpin. Actually, it's no big deal if a hairpin breaks - I never fuss over such things with servants, knowing they are accidents. But one of them was the only heirloom my mother left me before she died, very precious. I just wanted to call Lu You to ask about the situation, but I heard from my little servant girl that the Princess wouldn't let Lu You come, so I had to come over myself."
"Is that so?" Ye Qichi looked at Zhou Ruotang, she said, "From start to finish, Lu You has been with me; she didn't break Madam Zhou's hairpin."
"It was her who broke it!" Bi Qing interjected, accusing, "Right in the front courtyard, Lu You deliberately bumped into me, causing me to drop the hairpin onto the ground, which then broke in two!"
Ye Qichi's eyes narrowed, "Bi Qing, you better think carefully before you speak! Lying will get you a slap in the face!"
Clearly determined, Bi Qing insisted, "I, Bi Qing, swear to the heavens, it was Lu You bumping into me that caused the hairpin to break! If I lie, may the heavens strike me with lightning!"
Ye Qichi sneered coldly.
What kind of servants one has simply reflects what kind of master one is.
Acting skills perfect to a tee.
Ye Qichi rarely bothered, "The Princess already said there was none. Early in the morning, my mother dislikes being disturbed, all of you withdraw!"
"Princess, by shielding a servant , don't you feel you're being unfair! By doing so, how will we command respect among the servants in the future!" Ye Zhilan suddenly spoke aggressively.
"I said, Lu You did not break it!"
"Whether it broke or not, just call Lu You out to confront!" Ye Zhilan pressed vehemently.
Ye Qichi's expression turned ugly.
Ye Zhilan absolutely didn't put An Ning in her eyes, speaking to Zhou Ruotang, "Mother, the hairpin is the only keepsake left by grandmother, we cannot let this matter go so easily..."
The words were not even finished.
"Slap!" A hard slap landed on Ye Zhilan's face.
Ye Qichi exerted all her strength, Ye Zhilan's face immediately swelled red, and she was still stunned.
Zhou Ruotang did not react for a moment.
No one in the room reacted.
Ye Qichi shouted sharply, "Ye Zhilan, your mother is inside, who are you calling 'mother'! In this household, is there no discipline at all?!"
It was a rebuke of how Ye Zhilan addressed Zhou Ruotang.
Children born from concubines could only refer to their natural mothers as 'auntie,' and call the principal wife 'mother' or 'mam'.
Zhou Ruotang's status absolutely could not bear this title of 'mother'!
But now, as Zhou Ruotang was in charge of house affairs, Ye Zhilan had always been addressing her as such.
At this moment, she was simply stupefied.
She stared directly at Ye Qichi, her eyes turning red.
Since childhood, it had always been her bullying Ye Qichi. This woman never dared to bully her.
And now, she actually hit her.
Hit her so forcefully!
Ye Qichi did not even glance at Ye Zhilan one more time, she turned her gaze directly towards the equally stunned Bi Qing, "I give you one more chance. Who actually broke the hairpin!"
Bi Qing was so frightened that her body trembled.
It was the first time she found out the Princess was so formidable.
In her memory, she was still that straw bag bullied by Auntie Zhou and the legitimate young lady!
Although somewhat scared, having already come this far, she had no choice but to continue lying, "It was Lu You who deliberately bumped into me, causing me to break the hairpin!"
"Whose hairpin did it break?"
"Madam's!" Bi Qing blurted out.
At that moment, panic naturally didn't allow her to think too much.
"Since it's my mother's hairpin, and my mother isn't pursuing the matter, what right does Auntie Zhou have to seek punishment!" Ye Qichi declared assertively
Bi Qing was taken aback.
The next second she hurriedly tried to explain, "No, no, it was Zhou ..."
"The Princess doesn't want to waste time early in the morning here! The Princess will only say it once, Auntie Zhou and my sisters listen clearly," Ye Qichi did not give Bi Qing a chance to speak further, her presence overwhelming, "Just now in the courtyard, the Princess and Lu You indeed came across Bi Qing, who because of us dropped the jewelry box she was holding on the ground. As for her claim that Lu You deliberately bumped into her, that's completely baseless! Plus, every time Bi Qing mentioned who damaged the hairpin, it was always the Madam's. Now, does Aunt Zhou have any business questioning this?!"